A successful Iowa farmer decides to divide his farm between his three daughters. When the youngest objects, she is cut out of his will. This sets off a chain of events that brings dark truths to light and explodes long-suppressed emotions. An ambitious reimagining of Shakespeare’s King Lear cast upon a typical American community in the late twentieth century, A Thousand Acres takes on themes of … takes on themes of truth, justice, love, and pride, and reveals the beautiful yet treacherous topography of humanity.
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I read “A Thousand Acres” years ago. It’s one of my “never forget books ,” a story so brilliantly written that it’s breathtaking. Smiley creates an unforgettable world in the most unlikely of places: a farm. The characters are richly drawn, and what happens to them is haunting. If you haven’t read “A Thousand Acres,” you’re in for a rich …
A deep look into a dysfunctional family surviving in a dysfunctional system. Full of symbolism from farm life to board games, it follows everyday life of one family and the fallout from past sins and buried memories unearthed. As a fan of Shakespeare, I thought Smiley did an admirable job retelling King Lear with very few trite contrivances. It …
This book would be on my Favorite Books list all on its own, but when one considers that Jane Smiley based her novel on the plot of Shakespeare’s King Lear, it moves right on up near the top of the list! Even without knowledge of the bard’s tragedy, A Thousand Acres is a beautiful novel about family, ambition, sibling rivalry, greed, and …
A fascinating book that illumes brightly how the most important people in our lives, our families, scar us the worst and the deepest. It makes you realize that love unrequited, whether intentionally withheld or not, is the most damning wound that can be sustained.
This book was like a modern day “Game of Thrones” it went from not so bad to bad to worse with every page. It was so unexpected. I’d read Ms Smiley’s Horse Heaven and that book had it’s ups and down but all worked out in the end. Thousand Acres just ended sadly.
Excellent writing, but some parts were heart-breaking. The characters were very believable.
Reminded me of John Steinbeck.
Beautifully written. Characters carefully defined, flaws and strengths clear. A human and tragic tale of family relationships and of farming.
well written journey into another era, the land of my childhood. wonderful characters create the intrigue of the forties and fifties and the doomed end of a bygone lifestyle. I loved this author
A retelling if King Lear. Absolutely fantastic! One of my favorite books ever.
If I’m ever marooned on a desert isle, once the necessary items have been taken care of…wine, chocolate, and such, the next thing I’ll want is several Jane Smiley novels. A Thousand Acres, based on the tragedy, King Lear, sits right at the top. Daddy, one of the most successful and demanding farmers in all of Iowa, owner of 1,000 acres rules …
Jane Smiley captures the small town family farming culture of the ’50’s, 60’s and 70’s perfectly. Family personalities and disputes, with a nod to “King Lear” kept me reading through the stormy relationships to see how they would be resolved. Her descriptions of farm life were spot on. A riveting read.
It’s heartbreaking and tragic in the implosion of a family. Real life incidents can make this book seem familiar if one has ever watched or experienced the unraveling of a family after one or both parents’ pass away. Grab a tissue and settle in.
Smiley is a wonderful writer!
Unusual. Well written
It is well written, but for an urbanite it can be a little tedious with all the farm related, somewhat unfamiliar descriptions.
Tedious but descriptive scenery. About surviving terribly a sad and lonely life.
I read this book a long time ago, and the vivid farm setting and strong woman characters have stayed with me. I was so glad I read it.
Haven’t finished it yet but hard to put down at night. I love how the author helps me know the characters and the culture.
I had to read this in college. I realize that it is supposed to be a re-imagining King Lear, but I just thought it was disturbing. I know some people like this kind of tragic literature, but I am not one of them. It is well written, just NOT my cup!